Author
Topic: A New Face (Read 5179 times)

Hello all, I'm James and I sculpt. I've been doing so for quite a while now that I think of it. Certainly since I was a child quite a few moons ago.I am entirely self-taught. It pretty much all started with making little models of Wallace and Gromit from plasticine, much simpler back in those days. These days I use all manner of polymer clay. At present I'm currently using Super Sculpey a lot and find you can get a heck load of detail from it, contrary to what most people say.I also use Sculpey firm, regular Sculpey and FIMO from time to time.

Today I sculpt on a considerably finer level of detail, I love faces, expressions and likenesses. I have no idea why they fascinate me. I suppose its the magic of capturing the essence of someone's personality or performance (if that someone is an actor).Broadly speaking I work on a 1/6th scale but recently that has become looser and I've drifted into slightly larger scale and have been getting rather nice results from it indeed.

Here are a couple examples of what I do:

I have a passion for the BBC show Doctor Who which has been in my life for as long as I can remember and it has been a useful source of inspirational sculpting subjects, indeed I've sculpted all of the different and varied incarnations of the good Doctor (with varying success of course). I also have a love for cinema and theatre. I love the works of Alan Bennett and David Lynch. Douglas Adams and P.G. Wodehouse are two enormous influences on my little mind, Raymond Briggs and Oliver Postgate too.My mind is quite a magpie's nest of odds and ends.

I studied Animation at Foundation, FdA and BA level at the London College of Communication from 2009 to 2013.

I've also had work exhibited and displayed in the National Media Museum of Bradford and the San Diego Comic Con (In San Diego). Then later on the New York leg of the Doctor Who Series 8 World Tour.

Anyway! It occurs to me I've written far far (more than that) too much about myself.I hope to begin posting updates about upcoming projects I'm working on, as a couple should be starting soon hopefully.

Amazing stuff! Nice to see modeled faces in actual physical material. I've seen far too much CG stuff (also amazing of course).Is the third one Mr Bowie?

Postage? I assume you meant Oliver Postgate, (Noggin the Nog, Ivor the Engine, The Clangers.) Wonderful children's programme maker. Fabulous, evocative voice he had. Whenever I hear it I'm six years old again ;-)

Hello! Thank you for showing those amazing examples of your work........l'm looking forward to seeing your next projects!

Much as l admire your skill, l have to confess l find them incredibly creepy! Perhaps it's because of the eyes - or lack of them, or the almost but not quite realism....l am fascinated by them but think they'll haunt my dreams Mind you, it is late and l've just got back from the pub........

Hello! Thank you for showing those amazing examples of your work........l'm looking forward to seeing your next projects!

Much as l admire your skill, l have to confess l find them incredibly creepy! Perhaps it's because of the eyes - or lack of them, or the almost but not quite realism....l am fascinated by them but think they'll haunt my dreams Mind you, it is late and l've just got back from the pub........

Now you see I love that, that is a fantastic response. Perhaps you should have a second look when you've sobered up

James - welcome to the forum and thank you for sharing your work with us and your background. No, you didn't talk too much about yourself at all. It is great to learn more about you and your work and your experience. It helps us all connect. So don't apologize for that

Your sculptures are wonderful - such detail and such accuracy. It is brave to sculpt a well known face I think - because unlike a fantasy face, with a real one anyone who knows that person can act as Jury to your work! But your work is so perfect in that regard, I am sure you don't need any nerves in that dept!

I agree with Carrie though - they do un-nerve me a bit. I think it is the open mouths on many of them. They have a sort of screaming quality to an over-active imagination like mine!

It reminded me of when I would do archaeology and we'd be digging up skeletons. Most skulls you find will be open-jawed. This is simply because the ligaments and whatnot that hold the jaw clenched go, so the mouth opens. But the number of people I would hear asking us why they were screaming! Also the papers and TV invariably do the same thing anytime they run footage on oldgrave sites and crow on about how they all died in agony!

But it sells papers because it is emotive. And in your work, that trigger is definitely being pushed in me by the mouths for sure. I know Bowie is singing in my head, but in my heart, he is shouting, screaming and doing all sorts of crazy stuff.

I guess that is the mark of a good piece of sculptural work though - if you can cause emotions in the viewers!

Thanks so much Emma, I love it when my work gets an emotional response from the people who see it, even if that response is a creeped out one! Its all terribly fascinating to me. I think that expressive sculptures are far more interesting than static neutral ones that ask politely for your attention. Sculptures which scream to you and call for your attention are exciting.